Briefs: Man spies on woman in college restroom; Man's body found bound, burned

Athens-Clarke County police are trying to find a peeping tom and Clayton County police are seeking answers in the death of a missing man whose body was found burned with his hands tied.

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Police are searching for a peeping tom who spied on a woman as she was using the restroom at Athens Technical College Tuesday. So far, police have not been able to identify the suspect.

The incident happened around 9 a.m. inside the school at 800 Highway 29 in Athens, according to the Athens-Clarke County police. The 29-year-old woman told police she was using one of the stalls when she heard someone entering the restroom and going into the stall next to her, police spokeswoman Hilda Sorrow said.

“As she was using the facility, she saw an unknown black male looking over the stall wall,” Sorrow said. When she screamed at him, he ran from the restroom.”

The man was wearing a black hat, black jacket, and black shoes with red lines, Sorrow said. He also carried a backpack, she said. Another witness said the suspect appeared to be in his 20s.

That witness said she was driving through the parking lot when the suspect ran from the building, forcing her to slam on the brakes to keep from hitting him, Sorrow said. The woman told police the man appeared to be in his 20s and that he was wearing a black beret style hat and black jacket, she said. He was last seen running toward the Hull Road.

Missing Man found Bound and Burned

The body of a missing 24-year-old man was found bound and burned over the weekend in Clayton County, and police on Tuesday said they are still trying to determine what happened.So far, no suspect has been identified in the case and police are asking anyone with information about the case to come forward.

On Saturday, around 7:45 pm, officers were dispatched to the Walden Landing Apartments at 11015 Tara Blvd. near Jonesboro in reference to a brush fire, according to Clayton County police. Officers arrived to discover that the general area of the brush fire was within the wood line directly behind the apartment complex, police spokesman Officer Ron Coloma said.

Firefighters were battling the blaze when they discovered the body, Coloma said. The man was on the ground with his hands bound and his body extensively burned, the spokesman said.

The body was later identified as Andre Tripps, according to media reports. Tripps' brother had reported him missing and in danger to Brookhaven police, Major Joseph Woodall had told Channel 2 Action News.

Surveillance video showed Tripps with several men in DeKalb County, police said. Investigators have not determined how Tripps' body ended up two counties and about 30 miles away in Clayton County. And they have not released the official cause of the man’s death.

Anyone with information about the man’s death is asked to contact the Clayton County police tip line at (770) 477-3513.

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Former police reporter for The State newspaper, Kimathi T. Lewis left her mark in print with stories that evoked community support and a column that helped capture dozens of fugitives. This award-winning reporter with a B.A. in Journalism can be reached at naturekleen@msn.com.